Engineering Commons^™

A Survey Of Electronic Environmental Controllers, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, Larry W. Turner

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Sixteen commercially available electronic environmental controllers were evaluated. The units were classified according to enclosure type, analog versus microprocessor based control, power supply, sensors, alarms, control relays and triac output, interval timers, outside temperature feedback, and retail price. An assessment of these controllers indicated several critical limitations in the application of this technology.

The use of integrated controllers for animal production has the potential for substantial improvements in production efficiencies. If the limitations observed in the present controller technology, as represented by this sample, are addressed, industry acceptance of the technology can be accelerated. A uniform standard to address this …